Indicator device for a shelf



Jan. 11, 1966 R. L. HECK INDICATOR DEVICE FOR A SHELF Filed Feb. 25. 1964 F/Gtd Had I N VE N'TOR. EM/944,60 Z. f/fcK United States Patent Ofice 3,228,131 INDICATUR DEVIEE FGR A SHELF Richard L. Heck, 11f) Iroquois Drive, Timherly Heights, Butler, Pa. Filed Feb. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 347,241 8 Claims. (Cl. 4965) This invention relates to an indicator device for use with a shelf and relates more particularly to an indicator device which may be moved from an indicating position wherein certain indicia means carried by the device are visible from in front of the shelf, and a retracted position wherein the indicia means are concealed beneath the shelf.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an indicator device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, utilize and maintain.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an indicator device which may be movably secured to a conventional shelf rail member so that it may be positioned at any desired location.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an indicator device carrying a variable indicia means which allows for selective display of information relating to articles carried on the shelf.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an indicator means of the type described, which is pivotally carried beneath the undersurface of a shelf whereby it can be moved from its indicating position to its retracted position, with the pivotal means carrying the device being so arranged as to provide a snap over center spring relationship to maintain the device in either of its two relationships.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown on the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of an indicator device in accordance with the instant inventive concept carried by a conventional metal price tag rail secured to the front edge of a shelf;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of one of the indicia members utilized with the indicator device of the instant invention;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, an indicator device in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 13 and is shown as secured to a standard price tag rail 12 having reverted top and bottom edge portions 14, 16, respectively, defining elongated top and bottom grooves 13, 2t and fixed in any conventional manner to the front edge 22 of a shelf 24.

The indicator device is basically comprised of an indicator member 26 carrying various indicia means 23 with securing means 343 including ivot means 32 fixing the indicator member 26 to the rail member 12.

The indicator member 26 includes portions defining a plurality of vertically spaced guide means or elongated grooves 34 for sliding reception of indicia members 36 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 each having a plurality of spaced characters such as the numbers 38 defined on its surface. Means are provided for slidingly moving each of the indicia members 36 in its respective guide means 34 whereby selected characters 38 may be exposed through openings at} defined through the front surface of the indicator member 26 in alignment with each guide means 34. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, these means are comprised of elongated slots 32 defined through the front surface of the indicator member 26 in alignment with each of the guide means 34 and recesses 44 defined in each of the indicia members 36 in alignment with its associated slot 42 whereby a pencil point or the like may be engaged in the recesses 44 through the slots 42 to slidingly move the indicia members 36 in their associated guide means 34 thereby selectively aligning one of the characters 38 with the openings 40. Also forming part of the indicia means 28 is a smooth area on the front surface of the indicator member 26 adhesively carrying a tag element 46 on which may be written with pencil, pen or the like any desired information relating to the articles of merchandise (not shown) carried on the shelf 24.

The securing means 30 includes at least one substantially Z-shaped resilient member 46 having top and bottom resilient elements 48, 5t), respectively, engaged in the top and bottom grooves 18, of the rail member 12. The indicator device it) may be readily slid along the rail member 12 with the resilience of the Z-shaped member 46 retaining the same in a selected location with respect to the shelf member 24-. Also, the securing means may be readily removed from the rail member 12 in an obvious manner. The pivotal means 32 includes an elongated resilient member 52 carried by an arcuate element 5 secured to or integrally formed with the bottom element 50 of the Z-shaped member 46 and extending over the reverted bottom edge portion 16 of the rail member 12 whereby the elongated element 52 is positioned substantially parallel to, and spaced below, the front edge 22 of the shelf 24, preferably beneath the underside 56 thereof. The indicator member 26 has an elongated bore 58 defined in spaced relationship to its top surface 60 which pivotally receives the elongated element 52. This element is preferably positioned below the underside 56 of the shelf 24 a distance approximately equal to the spacing of the bore 58 from the top surface 6% of the indicator member 26 to provide a snap over center spring action retaining the indicator member in its vertically extending indicating position shown in full lines in FIGURES l and 2 with its top surface 69 in abutting engagement with the undersurface 56 of the shelf member 24, and also retaining the indicator member 26 in its retracted position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURES l and 2 with its substantially flat rear surface 62 in abutting engagement with the undersurface 56 of the shelf 2%.

The use and operation of the indicator device of the instant invention will now be apparent. The securing means 36 is selectively engaged in the rail member 12 at a desired location beneath chosen articles of merchandise carried by the shelf 24. A tag member 46 may be secured to the front of the indicator member 26 on which may be written certain information relating to the articles of merchandise such as the size of the items, the number of items or other information desired to be communicated to a viewer such as a salesperson, department head or the like. The indicia members 36 may be slid by engaging a pencil point or the like in the recesses 44 so that selected characters 38 are positioned in alignment with the openings an in the front surface of the indicator member 26 to designate the price of the items. The indi cator member 26 may then be left in its substantially vertical indicating position shown in full lines in FIG- URES 1 and 2 wherein the indicia means 28 are visible from in front of the shelf 24, or moved about the pivotal means 32 to its substantially horizontal retracted position wherein the indicia means 28 are concealed beneath the shelf 24.

The device of the instant invention will instantly identify and show the price of articles of merchandise which belong on a shelf but which have been sold out without necessitating reference to a price book for the same. Various information relating to the articles on the shelf 24 may be displayed on the tag member 46 and on the indicia members 36. When an item changes in retail price, the indicia means 28 are reset by a department head and left in the indicating position. This will allow the retail clerks to note that the indicator member 26 is in its visible position whereby they may make the necessary price changes on the articles of merchandise, after which the indicator member 26 may be pivoted to its retracted or concealed position. When taking inventory, all of the indicator members 26 may be moved to their indicating position and after a particular article of merchandise has been counted and recorded, the indicator members may be moved to their retracted position. This permits personnel taking inventory to stop and restart the inventory without losing track of which items were counted and which were not. This device also permits part time help or new and inexperienced help to learn and develop more rapidly without seeking out locations, prices, sizes, etc. from price books and without annoying department heads for this information.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved indicator device which satisfies all the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein will be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An indicator device for use with a shelf having a front edge and an undersurface comprising a rail member secured to the front edge of the shelf, an indicator member including a front surface, a rear surface and a top surface, indicia means carried by said indicator member for imparting information relating to articles carried on the shelf, securing means attaching said indicator member to said rail member at a desired location, said securing means including pivotal means operatively carrying said indicator member whereby said indicator member may be selectively moved between an indicating position wherein said indicia means are visible from in front of the shelf and a retracted position wherein said indicia means are concealed beneath the shelf.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said indicia means includes a substantially smooth area on said front surface of said indicator member adhesively carrying a tag element on which may be written desired information.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said indicia means includes a plurality of indicia members each having a plurality of spaced characters defined on its front surface, a guide means defined in said indicator member slidingly receiving each indicia member, an opening de fined through said front surface of said indicator member in alignment with each of said guide means large enough to expose at least one character on each indicia member, and means to slidingly move each of said indicia members in its respective guide means whereby selected characters may be exposed for viewing through said openings.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said last-mentioned means includes an elongated slot defined through said front surface of said indicator member in alignment with each of said guide means, and a recess defined in each of said indicia members in alignment with its associated slot, whereby a pencil point or the like may be engaged in said recesses through said slots to slidingly move said indicia members in their associated guide means.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said securing means is removably secured to said rail member.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said rail member includes reverted top and bottom edge portions defining elongated top and bottom grooves, said securing means including at least one substantially Z-shaped resilient member having top and bottom elements engaged in said top and bottom grooves, respectively.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said pivotal means includes an elongated element carried by said securing means and extending substantially parallel to, and spaced below, the front edge of the shelf, said indicator member including an elongated bore defined in spaced relationship to said top surface and pivotally receiving said elongated element.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said elongated element is resilient and extends beneath the undersurface of the shelf a distance approximately equal to the spacing of said bore below said top surface of said indicator member, said top surface of said indicator member being substantially flat and in abutting engagement with the undersurface of the shelf when said indicator member is in said indicating position, and said rear surface of said indicator member being substantially fiat and in abutting engagement with the undersurface of the shelf when said indicator member is in said retracted position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,070 5/1944 Axelrod 4065 2,583,647 1/1952 Haynes 401O 2,822,631 2/1958 Lynch 4065 X 2,824,393 2/1958 Shapiro 40-10 2,850,820 9/1958 Lersch 40-10 2,923,078 2/1960 Slavsky 401O EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. WENCESLAO J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INDICATOR DEVICE FOR USE WITH A SHELF HAVING A FRONT EDGE AND AN UNDERSURFACE COMPRISING A RAIL MEMBER SECURED TO THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SHELF, AN INDICATOR MEMBER INCLUDING A FRONT SURFACE, A REAR SURFACE AND A TOP SURFACE, INDICIA MEANS CARRIED BY SAID INDICATOR MEMBER FOR IMPARTING INFORMATION RELATING TO ARTICLES CARRIED ON THE SHELF, SECURING MEANS ATTACHING SAID INDICATOR MEMBER TO SAID RAIL MEMBER AT A DESIRED LOCATION, SAID SECURING MEANS INCLUDING PIVOTAL MEANS OPERATIVELY CARRYING SAID INDICATOR MEMBER WHEREBY SAID INDICATOR MEMBER MAY BE SELECTIVELY MOVED BETWEEN AN INDICATING POSITION WHEREIN SAID INDICIA MEANS ARE VISIBLE FROM IN FRONT OF THE SHELF AND A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID INDICIA MEANS ARE CONCEALED BENEATH THE SHELF. 